Westwood College and KidsTek Partner to Deliver Technology Equipment and Work-Ready Skills to DPS High School Students

Westwood College today announced its partnership with Denver-based nonprofit KidsTek to expand its commitment to donate funding and technology equipment, as well as the time and expertise of its faculty to Denver Public Schools (DPS). The program combines a unique public, private and nonprofit partnership to offer students at North High School and High Tech Early College the opportunity to develop technology skills and workforce readiness to jumpstart their college degree or technological career path to meet the demands of the 21^st Century economy.

Denver Public School ninth-grade students from High Tech Early College tour Cisco networking facilities during a recent field trip as part of the Westwood College - KidsTek afterschool technology program. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Westwood College-KidsTek program builds on the success of a six-week afterschool technology course that was initially offered to North High School students during the 2010-11 school year. For the 2011-12 school year, DPS will offer the program as a yearlong, elective at both North and High Tech Early College. The courses provide students with the opportunity to gain valuable technology skills and earn industry-related certifications (A+, CCENT, CCNA) through the Cisco Academy Curriculum. Students who pass the rigorous courses can also earn college credit toward an Information Technology degree at Westwood College.

“Westwood College and KidsTek are working together to provide much-needed technology, expertise and classroom support for High Tech Early College students. The Cisco technology elective enables us to deliver on our mission to set students on the right path as freshman and provide them with in-demand technology skills and training,” said John Fry, principal of High Tech Early College. “As students advance to upperclassman, our goal is to provide them with a combination of mentoring and internships to build their confidence and make them attractive employees for area businesses.”

The technology elective at High Tech Early College is one of three course options available to students, including technology literacy, graphic design and business. Located on the former Samsonite headquarters campus along the Interstate 70 industrial corridor at Peoria Road, High Tech Early College is a new DPS high school – the first of its kind in Colorado and part of a growing national movement to prepare students earlier for the rigors of their careers. The school started the 2011-12 school year with an incoming class of approximately 140 students from northeast Denver. High Tech Early College is one of four high school options for DPS freshman who would have attended Montbello High School this year.

Westwood College’s support of DPS extends beyond the $50,000 donation, comprised of equipment, textbooks and staff time, to KidsTek for North and High Tech Early College during the upcoming school year. Westwood has also donated approximately $20,000 of technology hardware, including interactive white boards, desktop and laptop computers to Thomas Jefferson High School. The contribution to Thomas Jefferson will enable the school to make much-needed improvements in its technology infrastructure that otherwise would not have been completed without outside support.

“Since Westwood’s headquarters are in Denver, we understand the value and need for businesses to give back and become engaged in our local schools,” said David Borofsky, chief academic officer of Westwood College. “The Westwood College-KidsTek program provides DPS high school students with a clear path to college and a career that removes many of the obstacles such as access to technology and time in school that often make it difficult, particularly for low income students, to meet these goals.”

On average, individuals with a high school degree who have earned CCNA certification can earn approximately $35,000 with opportunities for career advancement as they continue to expand their skills in other areas of technology and gain work experience. The availability of this certification program for high school students ensures they will graduate with the skills to earn an income or continue on to earn their college degree.

About Westwood College

Westwood College is an institution of higher learning with 17 campuses located in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and Virginia. Westwood offers a hands-on, career-focused curriculum featuring three-year bachelor’s degrees in many in-demand fields. Westwood is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), depending on the campus. For more information, visit http://www.westwood.edu.

About KidsTek

KidsTek provides cost-effective tuition-free in-school and afterschool computer education programs to Colorado's disadvantaged youth. Working in partnership with urban public schools and utilizing existing computer labs KidsTek classes give students, from elementary to high school, the tools they need to succeed in modern life. For more information, visit http://www.kidstek.org/.

About Denver Public Schools

Under the leadership of Superintendent Tom Boasberg, Denver Public Schools is committed to making Denver a national leader in student achievement, high school graduation, college and career preparation, and college matriculation. Superintendent Boasberg has a clear vision for Denver Public Schools - become the best urban school district in the nation. Denver Public Schools serves the residents of the City and County of Denver, Colorado; 58.4% of the school district is Latino, 14.6% is African American, and 19.8% is Anglo. Seventy-two percent of the district's students qualify for free and reduced lunch. The current student enrollment is 79,423. DPS is comprised of 73 Elementary, 16 K-8, 16 Middle, 12 traditional High, 30 Charter and 10 Alternative, including 6 intensive pathway schools. For more information, visit http://www.dpsk12.org/.

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